Silicon Valley tech giants are writing a letter to Trump: 'A blanket suspension is not the right approach' (AAPL, GOOG, FB)

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Published 6:13 am, Thursday, February 2, 2017

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NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 14: (L to R) Jeff Bezos, chief executive officer of Amazon, Larry Page, chief executive officer of Alphabet Inc. (parent company of Google), Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, Vice President-elect Mike Pence listen as President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting of technology executives at Trump Tower, December 14, 2016 in New York City. This is the first major meeting between President-elect Trump and technology industry leaders. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) less

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 14: Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, listens during a meeting of technology executives and President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower, December 14, 2016 in New York City. This is the first major meeting between President-elect Trump and technology industry leaders. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) less

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 14: Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, listens during a meeting of technology executives and President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower, December 14, 2016 in New York ... more

Photo: Drew Angerer, Getty Images

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NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 14: Jeff Bezos, chief executive officer of Amazon, listens during a meeting of technology executives and President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower, December 14, 2016 in New York City. This is the first major meeting between President-elect Trump and technology industry leaders. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) less

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 14: Jeff Bezos, chief executive officer of Amazon, listens during a meeting of technology executives and President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower, December 14, 2016 in New York City. ... more

Photo: Drew Angerer, Getty Images

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NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 14: (L to R) Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, and Vice President-elect Mike Pence listen as President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting of technology executives at Trump Tower, December 14, 2016 in New York City. This is the first major meeting between President-elect Trump and technology industry leaders. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) less

Silicon Valley tech giants are writing a letter to Trump: 'A blanket suspension is not the right approach' (AAPL, GOOG, FB)

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Silicon Valley's tech giants are planning to send a letter to President Donald Trump condemning his immigration ban, Recode reports.

The letter, which Recode claims to have obtained a draft copy of, will be co-written by Apple, Google, Facebook, and Uber, among others.

"While security and vetting procedures can and should always be subject to continuous evaluation and improvement, a blanket suspension is not the right approach," a draft of the letter reportedly reads.

It's unclear when the letter will be submitted to President Trump.

Trump signed an executive order last Friday that has temporarily halted visa holders from seven majority-Muslim countries from traveling to the US. The countries affected are Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Refugee arrivals into the US have also been temporarily barred.

Silicon Valley's tech companies, which are underpinned by immigrants, have been publicly criticizing the immigration ban since it was introduced, with CEOs of the largest tech firms in the region saying both publicly and privately that they don't want it to be introduced.

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"Apple would not exist without immigration...It is not a policy we support," said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a memo sent to staff last week.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg also came out against Trump's policy in a lengthy post on his Facebook page Friday. "Like many of you, I'm concerned about the impact of the recent executive orders signed by President Trump," Zuckerberg said.

"We need to keep this country safe, but we should do that by focusing on people who actually pose a threat," the Facebook CEO continued. "Expanding the focus of law enforcement beyond people who are real threats would make all Americans less safe by diverting resources, while millions of undocumented folks who don't pose a threat will live in fear of deportation."

In a bid to mitigate the impact of the order, Silicon Valley is drawing on its billion dollar cash piles.

"We're concerned about the impact of this order and any proposals that could impose restrictions on Googlers and their families, or that could create barriers to bringing great talent to the US," Google said in a statement seen by USA Today. "We'll continue to make our views on these issues known to leaders in Washington and elsewhere."

The executive order affects at least 187 Google employees, according to Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

Here is draft of the letter, according to Recode:

Dear President Trump,

Since the country’s birth, America has been the land of opportunity – welcoming newcomers and giving them the chance to build families, careers, and businesses in the United States. We are a nation made stronger by immigrants. As entrepreneurs and business leaders, our ability to grow our companies and create jobs depends on the contributions of immigrants from all backgrounds.

We share your goal of ensuring that our immigration system meets today’s security needs and keeps our country safe. We are concerned, however, that your recent executive order will affect many visa holders who work hard here in the United States and contribute to our country’s success. In a global economy, it is critical that we continue to attract the best and brightest from around the world. We welcome the changes your administration has made in recent days in how the Department of Homeland Security will implement the executive order, and we stand ready to help your administration identify other opportunities to ensure that our employees can travel with predictability and without undue delay.

Our nation’s compassion is a part of what makes it exceptional, and we are committed to helping your administration identify approaches for thorough screening without a blanket suspension of admissions under the US Refugee Admissions program. While security and vetting procedures can and should always be subject to continuous evaluation and improvement, a blanket suspension is not the right approach.

Similarly, we stand ready to identify ways of helping to achieve your stated goal of bringing clarity to the future of the 750,000 Dreamers in this country under the protections of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in a way "that will make people happy and proud." Removing these protections by barring renewals would effectively end the program and eliminate the ability for these Dreamers to work and live without the fear of deportation.

The business community shares your commitment to growing the American economy and expanding job creation across the country. We hire both thousands of Americans and some of the most talented people from abroad, who work together to help our companies succeed and expand our overall employment. As you contemplate changes to the nation’s complex and interconnected immigration policies, whether business and employment-based visas, refugees, or DACA, we hope that you will use us as a resource to help achieve immigration policies that both support the work of American businesses and reflect American values